Blinded By Love
by mysterymaiden7
Summary: Trapped in a world of darkness, can Neji Hyuuga be returned to the light by the kindness of a single woman? .NejixTenten. .AU. .Rating is subject to change.
1. Interview

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. In fact, I don't even own this plot. I'm simply basing this story off a book (actual book, not a piece of fanfiction) I read. So, if you think you've heard this story before- you probably have!_**

O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O

"So tell me, Ms. Tenten, do you have any experience in these matters?"

From somewhere in the mansion, a tremendous crash sounded, shaking the ceilings and sending a slight trickle of dust filtering into the room. The housekeeper, who was conducting the interview, released a nervous squeak as the crash was followed by repeated curses, blessedly muffled.

Tenten cleared her throat, drawing the housekeeper's eyes back to her. Tenten perched on the edge of a settee in their drawing room, soothing the pleats of her skirt as she determinedly ignored the racket occurring repeatedly throughout the house. Another crash interrupted her and she waited calmly as the noise level settled once more.

"I'm sure you'll find that my papers are all in order." She calmly extracted a sheaf of letters from her bag, laying at her side, and held them out to the woman across from her. The housekeeper took the papers with a slightly trembling hand and, as she carefully examined them, Tenten took the opportunity to scrutinize her closely for the first time.

She seemed an odd choice for a housekeeper, timid rather than commanding, slight instead of bulky and intimidating and young instead of old and experienced. Still, her milk-white eyes gaze the eerie impression of blindness. However, she had been quickly stripped of that illusion. Her eyes were simply an odd color that, according to her, was a natural hue for their family. All in all, Mistress Hinata Hyuuga seemed like a kind person, someone who could become a friend and ally, given time.

Finally, Mistress Hyuuga looked up from the letters, meeting Tenten's gaze for the first time. "You are a bit… younger than we had hoped." Her voice was soft, her tone apologetic. Tenten's eyes narrowed.

"I understand your concerns. However, I assure you, I meet every other criteria you may have set. I have the experience, applied as well as learned, and the ability to understand your patient in a way that most others would be unable to comprehend." She continued, when Ms. Hyuuga continued to look uncertain. "I know that it will take time to convince you of my sincerity, but please, at least give me a chance to prove myself."

As Mistress Hyuuga looked down at the papers in her hands, nibbling her lip in indecision, Tenten played her final card. "And I believe that thus far, since the third woman was tossed out on her ear without references, nor a final paycheck, I am the only applicant for this position- despite the generous wage you offered in your advertisement."

Hinata sighed, meeting the shrewd gaze of the woman across from her. She had been beaten and was intelligent enough to realize it. She eyed the young woman for several long seconds, taking in every aspect of her appearance. She was slender, with dark, chocolate brown hair, secured in a rather fashionable pair of buns atop her head. Her attire was simple, but clean and presentable, and she exuded an aura of confidence that would likely serve her well in any employment.

Hinata stood, bringing the other woman to her feet, reflecting her actions like a mirror. "I believe, Ms. Tenten, that barring any unforeseen complications, you have yourself a position in this household."

As a beaming Tenten reached across the coffee table and tea-service to shake Hinata's hand, a resounding crash echoed from directly outside the door. Hinata flinched and cast a nervous look at the door, withdrawing her hand with a jerk. "Oh no… I think that you had better…"

Before she could complete her sentence, the doors were thrust open with a crash, rebounding off the walls and creating obvious dents in the previously unmarred plaster. Tenten blinked in astonishment as a man stalked into the room, scenting the air around him like a leopard on the hunt. And a leopard he most certainly was, a rare, dangerous, masculine animal jealously guarding his territory with ferocity and grace.

But what struck her most was the resemblance between Hinata and himself. It was obvious the two were related, making it clear how exactly Mistress Hinata had received her position in the household. His eyes were the same ghostly white, but his hair was a dark brown, almost black, very different from Hinata's navy locks.

"Who is it?" He snarled, literally snarled, in Hinata's direction.

"This… This is…" Tenten narrowed her eyes. Though timid before, Hinata had displayed an innate grace that gave her the bearing of a queen and the kind-heartedness of a nun. However, now faced with this overpoweringly masculine figure, that soft smile and gentle speech fled, replaced with a stammering, nervous equivalent.

"My name is Ms. Tenten. I was hired as the new nursemaid to Master Hyuuga." Tenten responded, drawing his attention to herself and off Hinata. "Who might you be?"

The man smiled (more of a baring of teeth, if truth be told), in her direction, stalking towards her with a fierce, predatory gait. He stopped a bare foot in front of her, crowding her with his scent and heat. As her gaze focused on his, his eyes riveted near her left ear, a horrifying suspicion began to take root. She had expected a child, at most a young man. What she was faced with was…

"_I_ am Master Neji Hyuuga." The man spat at her. "And I have no need of your services." With that barked response, one he obviously expected to be heeded with utmost precision, he spun on his heel and stalked from the room, slamming the doors closed behind him with a resounding crash. His exit was somewhat ruined, however as the tinkling of breaking glass sounded from out in the hall a bare moment later, followed by a vicious curse that would have scorched any young maid's ears.

Mistress Hinata turned to Tenten in the aftermath and swallowed audibly at the look on the nurse's face. "Young man?" Tenten hissed at the housekeeper with barely contained anger. "That… that… creature was not a child! He was a fully grown beast! I specialize in the care of children, not adults!" Infuriated, Tenten reached down to retrieve her bag, only to be stopped by Hinata's soft plea.

"Oh please, Ms. Tenten! You cannot leave! You cannot possibly understand how desperate we are!" Somehow, Hinata managed to coax her back onto the settee for another cup of tea. "Since his accident, Master Hyuuga has been very volatile."

"So, I see." Tenten muttered petulantly as yet another slam echoed throughout the house.

"The loss of his sight…" Hinata shook her head, taking a breath before continuing. "Master Neji is used to being quite independent. He raised himself out of the sordid conditions of his birth and made himself into the epitome of wealth and prevalence. His power and strength were what helped him to become what his is today… Since the accident that rendered him blind, he had been unable to do anything for himself. He cannot dress properly, eat properly, and his own home has become a tangled maze of dangerous pitfalls."

Hinata paused and took a sip of tea, obviously battling with difficult emotions. Despite her better judgment, Tenten found herself softening towards the other woman's misery. "The ad that you responded to was a last resort. He has refused to allow anyone to aid him. Since he has long since turned away the good intentions of anyone that was close to him, chasing them away with harsh words and rough manners, we thought that perhaps a stranger, someone with whom he would not be forced to keep up appearances, would be the best choice to aid him in recovery. However…"

"Three nurses later, here I am."

Hinata nodded, cupping her teacup in both hands, as if to warm them. "He has chased away everyone that has applied, some before they even begin their employment. We are no longer certain what to do. You were our last hope, but…"

Tenten took a breath, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was about to make a terrible mistake. "I'll do it."

Hinata's head jerked upwards from her contemplation of the tea she held. "What?"

"I accept. I'll help him."

Tenten was certain that she saw tears glimmer in Mistress Hinata's eyes before the woman masked them, though her voice still trembled slightly as she said, "Thank you, Ms. Tenten. You have no idea what his means to all of us."

O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O

**_Author's Notes:_**

And so, you have been introduced to the main characters in my little drama.

Yes, Neji is blind. Took me quite some time to get around to explaining those odd little noises, didn't it? I know he seems a bit OCC, since he's usually quite stoic and cold, but, like I explained (using Hinata): Neji has just lost his sight not too long ago. He's still adjusting to the difficulty of living without his eyesight and he's not used to depending on anyone but himself. That would probably make anyone slightly irrational. Don't worry, he'll settle down later...

Remember to review- thanks!

MM7


	2. Breakfast

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Nor do I own this plot-line. But I think I'm doing both fairly decent justice, in any case!_**

O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O

He could still smell her.

Even now, hours later, the ginger and spice scent of her perfume still drugged his senses. As he lay on his back, staring sightlessly at the ceiling overhead, he could swear that the haunting fragrance hung about him like a cloud of sunshine. He shifted uncomfortably on his bed, flipping over in order to bury his face into his pillow. It was a last, futile attempt to remove her scent from his lungs. All he succeeded in accomplishing was acquiring a nose-full of the scent of his own unwashed body.

He cursed and rolled over, taking a breath of the stiflingly stale air that permeated his room. Neji's sense of smell had only become more acute in the weeks since his accent, almost a compensation for the complete destruction of his life. Dark velvet curtains shrouded the windows, throwing the room into total darkness, destroying any hope of a breath of fresh air entering the room. Not that it mattered to him any longer. He couldn't distinguish light from darkness any more than he could do anything else that required his sight.

His hand lifted to languidly tug at the cravat that he had looped around his throat sometime that morning. It was rumpled and loose. Having attempted several times to knot it that morning, he had finally given up in abject despair. Stockings covered his feet, but no boots, as he had been unable to find them that morning. He was just barely decently attired, in a rumbled shirt and tight-fitting pantaloons, but the state (and smell) of his clothing surely left something to be desired.

His room was no better. This was the one place he refused to allow the servants to venture. It was here he retired to soothe his aches and bruises from the numerous falls and upsets he suffered while attempting to acclimate himself to his new, darkened, life. He had dismissed his valet almost immediately after the accident, hence his abominable state of dress. He simply couldn't bear to have anyone looking on him with pity while he was treated as a child.

The delicate scent of ginger wafted over him and he cursed viciously, jerking his head to the side as though that might serve to clear the soft tang of freshness from his senses. His new caretaker (ex-caretaker, he reminded himself), certainly didn't smell like a nurse. All of the other women his well-meaning, but rapidly-becoming-tiresome, staff had hired had been older women. They smelled of moth-balls, tobacco, and grave dust, not sun-warmed spices.

Neji groaned through gritted teeth. Ms. Tenten didn't smell like a nurse, she smelled like a woman, and that was precisely his problem. He hadn't felt a pang of desire so acutely since his accident, and not for some time before that. It would simply be the feather in his cap to have found such a delightful creature now, when he was entirely unable to enjoy her. With a hiss of displeasure, Neji shoved himself upright and off the bed.

Damn the woman! She had no right to taunt him so bitterly, and smell as delicious as she did. It was fortunate he had dismissed her directly, as far as he was concerned, she need not ever trouble him again.

O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O

As Tenten descended the stairs for breakfast the next morning, she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed at the destruction she viewed in every room. However, it was hardly surprising given that Master Hyuuga seemed content to go charging throughout the household, completely disregarding his lack of sight.

Determined to locate her charge and begin her duties as soon as possible, she stopped all movement, tilting her head to the side and listened intently. The musical clink of dishes sounded from the dining room, though she was surprised to note that the sounds of crashing and shouting, that had occurred with increasing frequency the previous day, seemed to have ceased.

As she lifted her skirts to step over a shattered vase, an explosion of shattering glass disturbed the relative silence, followed by a savage oath. Tenten winced, a slight smile flirting with the corners of her mouth. Allowing her skirts to touch the floor once again, she followed the noise into the breakfast room.

A pair of liveried footman, one dark and serious, the other blond and obviously concerned, stood guarding the table. Neither seemed to notice, or to care, when Tenten entered the room. They were busy scrutinizing every move made by their master. As his elbow unwittingly nudged a goblet closer to the edge of the table, both rushed toward it, catching the teetering glass and righting it before moving back to their positions on either side of the table. Shards of glass, food, and china dishes littered the area about the table, evidence of their earlier failures.

Tenten took the moment to study her new employer. Despite her meeting with him the previous morning (though one could hardly call that a meeting) she had not taken the opportunity to examine him in much detail. His hair gleamed with the light coming in the window, it's wild tangle combed by little more than impatient fingers. His shirt sleeves (the same shirt he had been wearing the day before; she was certain) had been shoved to his elbows, sparing them from being dragged through the remains of his meal.

She watched in pitying fascination as he speared a bit of egg with his fork, only to have it slide off onto the floor before completing the journey to his mouth. Unaware of the mishap, he continued to lift the utensil to his lips, only to discover it carried nothing. Only the slightest tightening of his lips and the jerkiness of his movements betrayed his frustration as he attempted once again to stab a bit of sausage. This time, the food completed the journey to his lips, but during the sojourn, the salt-cellar near his left hand was upended, spilling it's contents across the tabletop and liberally sprinkling his remaining food.

Master Hyuuga suddenly paused, nostrils flaring as he turned his head to glare directly at her position, frozen in the doorway. Tenten curiously lifted her head, sniffing delicately. However, all she could sense was the eggs, sausage and toast adorning his plate. "Sasuke! Naruto!" His voice was little more than a growl as he barked the names. Instantly, his footman straightened.

"Yes, Master Hyuuga?" It was the dark-haired one (Sasuke, she assumed), that responded.

"Please tell me that someone has brought me some ginger for my tea."

Both boys looked at each other, then over at Tenten, who now stood with a look of amusement wreathing her face. "No, Master Hyuuga." Both boys, sensing trouble, began to back away from the table. "But we would be happy to fetch some for you." Naruto added hastily. With that, they both turned and bolted for the kitchen, leaving Neji growling in discontent.

"Good morning, Master Hyuuga." Tenten interjected smoothly, taking a seat at the table beside him, but well out of reach. He looked as though he would gladly strangle her, if given half a chance.

"Perhaps I was not clear earlier." Neji set his fork beside his plate with deadly precision, though the effect was somewhat ruined as it clanked loudly against the side of his plate. He stood, towering over the table, his sightless eyes focused with eerie accuracy on her seated figure. Tenten had to visibly force herself not to squirm. "Your services are not needed."

Ignoring his lethal tone, Tenten smoothed the wrinkles in her skirt that their stay in her trunks had caused. "I spent last night getting settled into my rooms. I hoped that you wouldn't mind if I waited until morning to begin my duties."

"You do not have any duties!" His patience clearly at an end, he rounded the table, keeping one hand out to steady himself as he moved toward her scent and the sound of her voice. "You are dismissed." In that moment, Tenten was sincerely glad that the selection of foods he had been consuming did not require the use of a knife.

"I provided Mistress Hinata with several letters of reference." Tenten insisted, refusing to be baited by his increasingly annoyed tone. "I'm sure that you will find them all in order. I assure you, Master Hyuuga, that I am beyond a doubt the most experienced person for this job."

"In case you hadn't noticed," Neji bit off, continuing his relentless movement towards her (he was only three chairs away, by this time), "I was unable to read them. Perhaps you would care to share their contents with me?" The sarcasm in his tone was unmistakable.

"I have worked with many other people with your affliction, as well as soldiers injured in the war. I can assure you that I have both the talent and the perseverance to help you return your life to normalcy. But only if you allow me to aid your recovery."

As Neji's powerful hands curved around the carved finials of her chair, Tenten refused to bolt. Instead, she stared straight ahead, her low, shallow breaths as audible to his ears as they were to her own. He leaned downwards, so closely that his lips came dangerously close to the top of her head. "I'm sure that your intentions are not without merit, Ms. Tenten. However, until you come to your senses and resign your post, you have only one duty." His soft, precise voice was more affective than a bellow. "_Stay out of my way_."

He left without warning, brushing past the footmen who moved forward to offer their arms. It didn't truly surprise her that he would chose to blunder along rather than accept another's help, but she still flinched when a loud crash resounded somewhere in the house.

O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O.oo.O

**_Author's Notes:_**

And so, we learn that Neji is a silent, deadly (sad, lonely) irate, blind man. But still devilishly handsome and oh, so adorable.

We can only hope Tenten convinces him to change his mind in the near future. It wouldn't be a story without her!

Love to all, and thanks for the reviews! Keep it up!

MM7


End file.
